Market rankings · Michigan
Child care centers and preschools in Michigan
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Michigan, ranked by the Groundwork market score for child care centers and preschools, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 1,909
- 205 chain locations (11%)
- Official establishments
- 2,090
- +14.5% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.7B
- On child care and other personal services
- Listings per 10k households
- 4.7
- 19% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $888K
- 11% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #29 of 51
- Market score 48 · Lower middle
A site report maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings around any address in Michigan by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Michigan has 1,909 child care centers and preschools on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 205 are chain locations, or 11%, against 12% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 4.7, 19% below the U.S. rate of 5.8.
At $416 per household (28% below the U.S. average), households in Michigan spend about $1.7B a year on child care and other personal services. That is about $888K of household spending for each center on map listings, 11% below the U.S. figure of $1M.
In 2023, official counts showed 2,090 businesses with payroll in Michigan classed as child care services, up 14.5% from 2019. That is one for every 1,950 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 5.7% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 107 SBA-backed loans worth $48.8M have gone to businesses classed as child care services in Michigan.
Among the 50 states and DC, Michigan ranks #29 for child care centers and preschools, with a Groundwork market score of 48 (lower middle). Of the 16 scored metro areas in or partly in Michigan, the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro area scores highest (56). Of the 15 scored small-town markets in or partly in Michigan, the Holland area scores highest (76).
Every market in Michigan for child care centers and preschools
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Michigan, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 56 | 211 | 4.8 | $929K | +2.8% | #157 of 387 |
| 2Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 53 | 795 | 4.5 | $1M | +0.1% | #176 of 387 |
| 3Traverse City, MI | 52 | 29 | 4.4 | $967K | +2.2% | #182 of 387 |
| 4Monroe, MI | 50 | 31 | 4.9 | $848K | +0.7% | #195 of 387 |
| 5Flint, MI | 42 | 62 | 3.7 | $951K | −1.1% | #253 of 387 |
| 6Ann Arbor, MI | 40 | 86 | 5.7 | $940K | −0.4% | #261 of 387 |
| 7Bay City, MI | 40 | 17 | 3.8 | $887K | −1.6% | #262 of 387 |
| 8Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 40 | 98 | 5.0 | $791K | +1.4% | #266 of 387 |
| 9Niles, MI | 35 | 30 | 4.7 | $818K | −1.3% | #289 of 387 |
| 10Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 34 | 59 | 5.5 | $760K | +0.8% | #301 of 387 |
| 11Battle Creek, MI | 33 | 23 | 4.3 | $795K | −0.6% | #308 of 387 |
| 12Jackson, MI | 32 | 36 | 5.8 | $634K | −0.4% | #322 of 387 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | 29 | 71 | 5.5 | $688K | +0.1% | #335 of 387 |
| 13Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | 26 | 40 | 5.9 | $560K | +1.8% | #352 of 387 |
| 14Midland, MI | 24 | 22 | 6.3 | $714K | +0.3% | #361 of 387 |
| 15Saginaw, MI | 18 | 43 | 5.5 | $636K | −1.1% | #374 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Holland, MI | 76 | 17 | 3.7 | $1.1M | +2.1% | #35 of 454 |
| 2Petoskey, MI | 54 | 7 | 4.6 | $968K | −1.0% | #196 of 454 |
| Marinette, WI-MI | 53 | 10 | 3.4 | $917K | +0.3% | #205 of 454 |
| 3Owosso, MI | 43 | 14 | 5.0 | $693K | −0.4% | #292 of 454 |
| 4Coldwater, MI | 41 | 9 | 5.3 | $602K | +2.5% | #311 of 454 |
| 5Marquette, MI | 39 | 16 | 5.7 | $596K | +2.3% | #320 of 454 |
| 6Houghton, MI | 38 | 8 | 5.2 | $666K | +1.8% | #326 of 454 |
| 7Mount Pleasant, MI | 37 | 11 | 4.4 | $713K | +0.3% | #334 of 454 |
| 8Big Rapids, MI | 37 | 10 | 6.0 | $508K | +4.7% | #340 of 454 |
| 9Iron Mountain, MI-WI | 37 | 10 | 7.1 | $458K | +0.4% | #343 of 454 |
| 10Hillsdale, MI | 36 | 13 | 7.3 | $462K | 0.0% | #349 of 454 |
| 11Sturgis, MI | 29 | 14 | 5.9 | $542K | +0.1% | #386 of 454 |
| 12Escanaba, MI | 28 | 11 | 6.9 | $471K | −0.8% | #392 of 454 |
| 13Adrian, MI | 27 | 28 | 7.2 | $500K | −1.6% | #398 of 454 |
| 14Alma, MI | 19 | 15 | 10.2 | $317K | −1.1% | #425 of 454 |
| Cadillac, MI | Not scored | 3 | 1.5 | $2.1M | +2.0% | |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | Not scored | 4 | 2.8 | $1.1M | −1.9% | |
| Ludington, MI | Not scored | 4 | 3.1 | $1.1M | 0.0% | |
| Alpena, MI | Not scored | 4 | 3.1 | $993K | −0.1% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Barry County, MI | 72 | 5 | 2.0 | $2M | +2.2% | #208 of 1,611 |
| 2Ottawa County, MI | 72 | 53 | 4.8 | $1M | +3.9% | #222 of 1,611 |
| 3Cass County, MI | 70 | 6 | 2.8 | $1.4M | +0.2% | #253 of 1,611 |
| 4Allegan County, MI | 68 | 17 | 3.7 | $1.1M | +2.1% | #312 of 1,611 |
| 5Macomb County, MI | 67 | 127 | 3.5 | $1.2M | +0.7% | #334 of 1,611 |
| 6St. Clair County, MI | 66 | 20 | 2.9 | $1.3M | +0.1% | #355 of 1,611 |
| 7Livingston County, MI | 64 | 42 | 5.5 | $1M | +1.7% | #426 of 1,611 |
| 8Oakland County, MI | 63 | 288 | 5.4 | $1M | +1.2% | #454 of 1,611 |
| 9Ionia County, MI | 57 | 5 | 2.1 | $1.7M | −0.5% | #618 of 1,611 |
| 10Kent County, MI | 57 | 135 | 5.3 | $862K | +2.5% | #637 of 1,611 |
| 11Monroe County, MI | 56 | 31 | 4.9 | $848K | +0.7% | #665 of 1,611 |
| 12Ingham County, MI | 53 | 52 | 4.4 | $853K | +1.7% | #751 of 1,611 |
| 13Grand Traverse County, MI | 51 | 21 | 5.2 | $829K | +1.4% | #798 of 1,611 |
| 14Clinton County, MI | 50 | 16 | 5.1 | $941K | +1.6% | #817 of 1,611 |
| 15Emmet County, MI | 49 | 7 | 4.6 | $968K | −1.0% | #839 of 1,611 |
| 16Genesee County, MI | 47 | 62 | 3.7 | $951K | −1.1% | #892 of 1,611 |
| 17Washtenaw County, MI | 47 | 86 | 5.7 | $940K | −0.4% | #895 of 1,611 |
| 18Lapeer County, MI | 46 | 22 | 6.3 | $642K | +1.0% | #943 of 1,611 |
| 19Bay County, MI | 45 | 17 | 3.8 | $887K | −1.6% | #953 of 1,611 |
| 20Cheboygan County, MI | 44 | 5 | 4.5 | $760K | +0.9% | #975 of 1,611 |
| 21Berrien County, MI | 43 | 30 | 4.7 | $818K | −1.3% | #1,004 of 1,611 |
| 22Kalamazoo County, MI | 43 | 59 | 5.5 | $760K | +0.8% | #1,010 of 1,611 |
| 23Charlevoix County, MI | 42 | 5 | 4.1 | $1M | 0.0% | #1,027 of 1,611 |
| 24Clare County, MI | 42 | 5 | 4.0 | $657K | +2.3% | #1,045 of 1,611 |
| 25Montcalm County, MI | 42 | 13 | 5.3 | $602K | +4.1% | #1,053 of 1,611 |
Show all 83 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Wayne County, MI | 41 | 296 | 4.2 | $888K | −1.1% | #1,059 of 1,611 |
| 27Calhoun County, MI | 41 | 23 | 4.3 | $795K | −0.6% | #1,063 of 1,611 |
| 28Jackson County, MI | 41 | 36 | 5.8 | $634K | −0.4% | #1,077 of 1,611 |
| 29Eaton County, MI | 39 | 30 | 6.6 | $604K | +0.4% | #1,128 of 1,611 |
| 30Huron County, MI | 38 | 6 | 4.2 | $736K | −2.7% | #1,143 of 1,611 |
| 31Newaygo County, MI | 37 | 8 | 4.1 | $796K | +3.1% | #1,160 of 1,611 |
| 32Shiawassee County, MI | 37 | 14 | 5.0 | $693K | −0.4% | #1,164 of 1,611 |
| 33Branch County, MI | 36 | 9 | 5.3 | $602K | +2.5% | #1,194 of 1,611 |
| 34Tuscola County, MI | 36 | 11 | 5.1 | $599K | −1.2% | #1,195 of 1,611 |
| 35Mecosta County, MI | 35 | 10 | 6.0 | $508K | +4.7% | #1,228 of 1,611 |
| 36Sanilac County, MI | 34 | 7 | 4.0 | $803K | −1.0% | #1,238 of 1,611 |
| 37Midland County, MI | 34 | 22 | 6.3 | $714K | +0.3% | #1,241 of 1,611 |
| 38Muskegon County, MI | 34 | 40 | 5.9 | $560K | +1.8% | #1,250 of 1,611 |
| 39Iosco County, MI | 33 | 5 | 4.3 | $675K | +0.3% | #1,265 of 1,611 |
| 40Oceana County, MI | 33 | 7 | 6.7 | $484K | +1.7% | #1,282 of 1,611 |
| 41Hillsdale County, MI | 33 | 13 | 7.3 | $462K | 0.0% | #1,285 of 1,611 |
| 42Isabella County, MI | 32 | 11 | 4.4 | $713K | +0.3% | #1,291 of 1,611 |
| 43Marquette County, MI | 32 | 16 | 5.7 | $596K | +2.3% | #1,297 of 1,611 |
| 44Saginaw County, MI | 29 | 43 | 5.5 | $636K | −1.1% | #1,350 of 1,611 |
| 45Dickinson County, MI | 29 | 10 | 8.4 | $390K | −0.3% | #1,365 of 1,611 |
| 46Houghton County, MI | 26 | 8 | 5.6 | $621K | +1.6% | #1,402 of 1,611 |
| 47Delta County, MI | 26 | 11 | 6.9 | $471K | −0.8% | #1,414 of 1,611 |
| 48St. Joseph County, MI | 24 | 14 | 5.9 | $542K | +0.1% | #1,428 of 1,611 |
| 49Van Buren County, MI | 23 | 21 | 6.9 | $531K | +0.7% | #1,440 of 1,611 |
| 50Lenawee County, MI | 21 | 28 | 7.2 | $500K | −1.6% | #1,469 of 1,611 |
| 51Gratiot County, MI | 17 | 15 | 10.2 | $317K | −1.1% | #1,533 of 1,611 |
| Chippewa County, MI | Not scored | 4 | 2.8 | $1.1M | −1.9% | |
| Wexford County, MI | Not scored | 2 | 1.5 | $2.2M | +2.3% | |
| Mason County, MI | Not scored | 4 | 3.1 | $1.1M | 0.0% | |
| Alpena County, MI | Not scored | 4 | 3.1 | $993K | −0.1% | |
| Gladwin County, MI | Not scored | 2 | 1.8 | $1.7M | +2.8% | |
| Otsego County, MI | Not scored | 3 | 2.7 | $1.4M | +3.8% | |
| Manistee County, MI | Not scored | 4 | 3.8 | $905K | +2.3% | |
| Antrim County, MI | Not scored | 2 | 1.8 | $2.1M | +5.3% | |
| Roscommon County, MI | Not scored | 3 | 2.6 | $1.2M | +1.9% | |
| Menominee County, MI | Not scored | 4 | 3.9 | $785K | −2.2% | |
| Osceola County, MI | Not scored | 3 | 3.2 | $955K | +2.7% | |
| Leelanau County, MI | Not scored | 3 | 3.1 | $1.7M | +3.0% | |
| Ogemaw County, MI | Not scored | 3 | 3.2 | $893K | +1.6% | |
| Benzie County, MI | Not scored | 3 | 3.9 | $999K | +3.1% | |
| Kalkaska County, MI | Not scored | 2 | 2.6 | $1.2M | +4.3% | |
| Missaukee County, MI | Not scored | 1 | 1.7 | $1.9M | +1.4% | |
| Arenac County, MI | Not scored | 2 | 3.1 | $947K | +0.5% | |
| Gogebic County, MI | Not scored | 3 | 4.3 | $693K | −0.4% | |
| Crawford County, MI | Not scored | 1 | 1.6 | $1.8M | +5.7% | |
| Presque Isle County, MI | Not scored | 4 | 6.0 | $520K | +1.0% | |
| Lake County, MI | Not scored | 1 | 1.9 | $1.3M | +9.1% | |
| Iron County, MI | Not scored | 3 | 5.4 | $546K | +1.1% | |
| Mackinac County, MI | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +3.8% | |
| Alcona County, MI | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +3.7% | |
| Montmorency County, MI | Not scored | 1 | 2.0 | $1.3M | +7.3% | |
| Alger County, MI | Not scored | 1 | 2.8 | $1.1M | −2.3% | |
| Oscoda County, MI | Not scored | 2 | 5.3 | $483K | +6.0% | |
| Baraga County, MI | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.3% | |
| Schoolcraft County, MI | Not scored | 1 | 2.6 | $1.2M | +1.7% | |
| Luce County, MI | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.1% | |
| Ontonagon County, MI | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.4% | |
| Keweenaw County, MI | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +6.2% |
Markets with fewer than 5 child care centers and preschools on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many child care centers and preschools are in Michigan?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 1,909 child care centers and preschools in Michigan. 205 of them (11%) are chain locations. The listings count day care centers and preschools. Official counts show 2,090 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in 2023, up 14.5% from 2019. Official counts list 14,760 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Michigan spend on child care and other personal services?
About $1.7B a year, or $416 per household. That is 28% below the U.S. average (an index of 72, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,909 child care centers and preschools on map listings, it comes to $888K per center. It is estimated from the incomes of the 4,076,369 households in Michigan and national spending patterns by income.
How does Michigan compare with the U.S. for child care centers and preschools?
Michigan has 4.7 child care centers and preschools per 10,000 households, 19% below the U.S. rate of 5.8. Spending per center is $888K, 11% below the U.S. figure of $1M. At the U.S. ratio of child care centers and preschools to household spending, Michigan would have about 1,692, against 1,909 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,950 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. The official count rose 14.5% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.7% for the U.S.
Which market in Michigan has the highest market score for child care centers and preschools?
Among 16 scored metro areas in or partly in Michigan, the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro area scores highest, at 56 (upper middle). Among 15 scored small-town markets in or partly in Michigan, the Holland area scores highest, at 76 (high). Among 51 scored counties in Michigan, Barry County scores highest, at 72 (upper middle). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Michigan scores 48 for child care centers and preschools (lower middle), #29 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Michigan. It maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Child care and preschools in other states
All 51 states
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- Michigan
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- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
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- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Top markets for child care centers and preschools across the U.S. · All business types in Michigan
Screening a site or an acquisition in Michigan?
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This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.